Bathurst 1000 champion Shane van Gisbergen was struck with emotion just once as he revealed his only regret from his greatest victory.
Shane van Gisbergen is king of the mountain for the first time after a wild finish to the Bathurst 1000.
The Kiwi was runner-up in 2019 and 2016 in cruel fashion, but he held his nerve in a tense sprint to the flag to win the Peter Brock Trophy for the first time.
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Van Gisbergen twice had his lead disappear in the final 10 laps when two safety cars were deployed within five minutes.
He had Ford's Cameron Waters breathing down his neck for the final 10 laps, but he showed his class to break clear in the final lap.
Van Gisbergen's win with co-driver Garth Tander is a huge result for Holden in the final year before the Red Lion officially walks away from Supercars, with the pair beating out Ford's Waters and third-placed Chaz Mostert.
Tander is now a four-time Bathurst champion.
Van Gisbergen said after the race his only regret was that his mum and dad weren't able to be there with him in Bathurst with his parents stuck in New Zealand because of Australia's border restrictions.
Speaking about his parents, Robert and Karen, was the only time van Gisbergen showed emotion in his post-race celebrations.
"Just awesome and the last few laps were tough with the safety car," he said.
"The team did a faultless job and thanks to the guys, we had a great car and great way to send us out.
"I owe everything to my family," van Gisbergen said.
"Dad is a racer. I'm a pretty big critic of myself, but he's even more so.
"But he's been a great influence, he and my mum have sacrificed a lot and they travel to most races now.
"To have them there and be one of the first people I see after this moment was a really cool thing."
He was agonisingly close in 2019 when he was beaten by McLaughlin in one of the most controversial finishes in the history of Australian motorsport with Fabian Coulthard and the Shell V-Power Racing team hit with a $250,000 fine when the driver backed up the grid to give McLaughlin an illegal buffer.
He was just 0.1 seconds short of victory in 2016 and would have won the race in 2014 if not for an engine breakdown.
This is one that can never be taken away from him.
"It’s been a while and I’ve been close a few times, but it doesn’t owe me anything," he said.
"I feel like we earned it, though."
He scorched through the field to take the lead when the rain first arrived - and he simply refused to let anyone take it off him.
Here's how the incredible drama unfolded.
Shane van Gisbergen fought off Cameron Waters in the chaotic safety car re-start and then blew him away on the last lap.
Van Gisbergen even opened up a small safety window as he turned onto pit straight to cross the line as the new Bathurst champion.
ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR! ๐๐
— Supercars (@supercars) October 18, 2020
Shane van Gisbergen and Garth Tander have won the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000! #Bathurst1000 #VASC pic.twitter.com/3RgnbYR77H
The safety car came out again with five laps to go – for the second time in five laps – when Jake Kosteki went into the wall hard at the top of the mountain.
Kosteki parked his Matt Stone Racing car off the track, but the safety car was brought out again because it was still parked in an unsafe position.
It further reduces the chances Cameron Waters will have to try to pass race leader Shane van Gisbergen in the hectic race to the finish.
"Unbelievable conclusion to the race as always!," Neil Crompton told Fox Sports.
Supercars legend Mark Skaife said it was the right call to bring the safety car out with just a handful of laps left.
"Oh my goodness me. This is almost the carbon copy of what happened last year," Skaife said.
The safety car left the track with three laps remaining.
The Bathurst 1000 is set for a sprint finish after a safety car with 10 laps to run saw leader Shane van Gisbergen's lead disappear.
Van Gisbergen had opened up a lead of more than one second in a duel with Cameron Waters before the safety car saw the field jammed up again.
It left Waters breathing down van Gisbergen's neck for the final run to the flag.
The safety car was triggered when one car went off at The Chase and another hit the barriers at the top of the mountain on the same lap.
A big crash for Fullwood at the top of the Mountain ๐ฑ
— Supercars (@supercars) October 18, 2020
7 laps to go and we are under a @kayosports Safety Car #Bathurst1000 #VASC pic.twitter.com/MrdC2aw1Mp
MASSIVE!
— Supercars (@supercars) October 18, 2020
A big off for Smith which triggers a @kayosports Safety Car! #Bathurst1000 #VASC pic.twitter.com/SqVvqfzAjC
After 152 laps, the Bathurst 1000 has come down to a shootout between Holden's Shane van Gisbergen and Ford's Cameron Waters.
The pair emerged from the final pit stops just 0.6 seconds apart with Waters breathing down van Gisbergen's neck.
Chaz Mostert was more than 13 seconds behind the pair in third.
The iconic Red vs Blue rivalry was also spiced up by the Aussie vs Kiwi connection between Waters and Kiwi van Gisbergen.
SVG Vs Waters, Holden Vs Ford, NZ Vs Aus, Red Bull Vs Monster.. IT IS ONโผ๏ธ๐ฅ#VASC #Bathurst1000 on Bathurst Channel 506 & Kayo Sports: https://t.co/UPl8xTuhUJ pic.twitter.com/LbfWf5lfms
— Fox Motorsport (@Fox_Motorsport) October 18, 2020
One of Bathurst's cruellest losers, Shane van Gisbergen is 20 laps away from his first Bathurst 1000 victory.
The Kiwi has led for the entire second half of the race after cutting through the field when rain caused issues through the field.
Van Gisbergen led Cameron Waters, Chaz Mostert, Fabian Coulthard and Scott McLaughlin after the final pit stops were performed and teams filled up their tanks for the final time.
Van Gisbergen led Waters by more than three seconds heading into the final pit stop, but emerged just 0.6 seconds ahead when they exited the pit.
Mostert was more than 11 seconds behind the pair in third.
Waters was all over the back of van Gisbergen's Holden when they rejoined the track.
Van Gisbergen has been runner-up in 2016 and 2019 and could have won at Mt Panorama in 2014 if a technical fault hadn't occurred. It could finally be his day
Supercars champion Craig Lowndes barely flinched as he dropped an accidental C-bomb in the middle of an interview on live TV.
The Bathurst icon was discussing the pack trying to hunt down race leader Shane van Gisbergen when he came unstuck.
"I think they are right into it," he said.
"All they need is a safety car to bridge that gap. It is really difficult to c***… hunt their cars down because of the tyre wear."
Craig Lowndes is such a pro, not even a sneaky c-bomb can slip him up ๐ #Bathurst1000 LIVE BLOG: https://t.co/JtW6KXC1jy
— Telegraph Sport (@telegraph_sport) October 18, 2020
(๐ฅ: @Fox_Motorsport) pic.twitter.com/iWvmKaXoH3
A safety car on lap 97 has caught Tim Slade and Scott McLaughlin out as the majority of the field came into the pits.
Slade had not completed his 54 laps at the time and was forced to remain in the car while the rest of the field used the opportunity to change back to their primary driver.
It also caught out Fabian Coulthard when he was forced to double stack behind Slade in the pits, seeing him drop to P6.
Shane van Gisbergen was still the race leader after 100 laps ahead of Slade and Cameron Waters.
The drama was caused when there was contact turning onto pit straight between teammates Macauley Jones and Todd Hazelwood.
Oh boy…#Bathurst1000 #VASC pic.twitter.com/kxujw6idik
— Supercars (@supercars) October 18, 2020
Supercars driver Garry Jacobson was overcome with emotion after his Matt Stone Racing car suffered an oil leak issue after 62 laps of the Bathurst 1000.
After Jacobson returned to the pits, the car was eventually wheeled back into the garage and, after the team could not locate the source of the oil leak the, the Yellow Cover Commodore was retired.
Jacobson was devastated when interviewed after the DNF.
"I can see some fluid in the eyes, is that smoke or just a really hard day," Jacobson was asked.
His reply hit right in the feels. After a second question, Jacobson's voice quivered and his words caught in his throat.
"I would love to say that it is from the engine fumes, but I'm just a little emotional," he said.
"So much for our guys and our people that help us out. This whole year, it's been such a tough year for every team up and down pit lane.
"I just really wanted to give them a good result today, but we had an engine issue on Thursday as everybody was aware, we change the engine in time the qualifying on Friday and we just have this oil leak that we can't find. Bathurst can bite you in mysterious ways.
"I'm just gutted for the guys. I wanted to finish on a high for them."
Shane van Gisbergen assumed the race lead after rain arrived at the mountain.
Wet weather prompted teams to pit for wet weather tyres and Kiwi van Gisbergen roared to the front of the grid after rejoining the track.
Will Davison, the co-driver of Cameron Waters, dropped to third by lap 59 with Fabian Coulthard climbing up the second.
And he gets it done!@shanevg97 has taken the lead ๐ #Bathurst1000 #VASC pic.twitter.com/YtJ0rhSdYV
— Supercars (@supercars) October 18, 2020
Cameron Waters and Will Davison led the Bathurst 1000 after 50 laps ahead of Scott McLaughlin and Tim Slade.
Only Jamie Whincup and Rick Kelly fell off the leading lap with Whincup 17 laps behind after an earlier crash and Kelly 14 laps behind after a major clutch problem.
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